The suspects are in their 40s, and it is not known what terror organization they belong to. They are currently being interrogated.

Security sources said that the arms were intended for terrorist and criminal activity in Samaria.

The raid was conducted by the Paratroopers' Battalion 202, the Oketz canine unit, and the Engineering Corps' elite Yahalom unit, together with Shin Bet. The need for dogs may be explained by the fact that the weapons were all hidden: the handgun was found in a toilet's water tank, the Uzi was in a refrigerator and the M-16 had to be dug out of a garden behind one of the homes.

An IDF source said that there is a downward trend in weapons hoarding in Samaria, but that many weapons are intended for clan warfare.

The suspects and some relatives exhibited suspicious behavior but did not offer resistance.

It can be assumed that the raid was based upon intelligence provided by informants. If this is true, it could be dubbed the Salem Snitch Hunt.